Year 7, 8 and 9 Music Lessons

We cover many different styles and topics across Key Stage 3 but most importantly practical and composition skills are always built in to each topic.

In Years 7, 8 and 9 all students learn the keyboard/piano, ukelele and guitar.

We sing as a class at least once a fortnight and signing is very strong here, students then often choose to come along to one of our four choirs.

Year 7 outline:

Pupils learn about reading and writing rhythms and compose percussion pieces. Then, they learn basic keyboard skills and how to read standard music notation, and compose using the keyboard.

After Christmas they learn about the instruments of the orchestra and how they are used in all styles of music, and also the more common structures within music.

In the summer term we start to learn how to use various computer software packages to compose music.

Year 8 outline:

In the autumn term pupils lean about the history of jazz and blues, learn to play the 12 bar blues on the ukelele and compose jazz pieces.

After Christmas we study the history of music and understand how it influences modern and contemporary music.

In the summer we look at world music including African, and learn how to play African pieces using djembes and create African music on the computer.

Year 9 outline:

In the autumn term we study popular music and write pop songs, both live and using computer software. Pupils learn the basics on acoustic guitar.

After Christmas we study film music and look at how it creates tension and other emotions on the screen. Pupils compose a piece of music to a film clip on the computer.

In the summer we revisit world music, this time with a focus on South American music and samba, and compose pieces using junk percussion based on carnival music.